Oh Mother!
by DragonKazooie89
Summary: Taking place after the events of Mother 3, a remnant of the past ends up causing some trouble for Lucas and his friends, mainly for Duster and Kumatora. Will the friendship between the "princess" and thief degenerate or will it become something more?
1. Wrecking Crew?

Whoo! My first Romance-related Fanfic! Make sure to read and review. Constructive criticism is encouraged!

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Chapter One – Wrecking Crew?

The Dark Dragon, the one power that was sleeping under the Nowhere Islands, waiting for someone to pull the seven needles that sealed it away. After Lucas had pulled the last one and passed his heart to the dragon, the world had been destroyed but only to help create a new one. At first the survivors were lost in the darkness but soon from the darkness emerged a new world to replace it, a peaceful one that many had hoped would last. Everyone started anew again, this time making sure that this new world would not become lost like the last one. However, there were still a few reminders from the last one that still existed, one of them being a small section of the Chimera Laboratory. Dr. Andonuts had found himself by these remains after exploring the land, looking for familiar faces.

"I'm surprised this managed to survive," he said to himself as he surveyed it. "Now that I've been given a second chance, I'm going to make sure I won't make the same mistakes again." After finding them, he promptly began to start working on disassembling them.

After hours of work, he had only completed a small section of it. "Looks like I'll need a bit of help. I doubt I can do this all by myself." He thought for a minute and remembered the young boy who he had met here before and his companions. "Perhaps they can lend a hand. The only problem is I have no clue where they are."

Actually, they weren't far off. The old residents of Tazmily as well as a few others who had survived had rebuilt their town and were living happily together for quite some time, 6 months at least. Lucas was out for a walk with Boney and was heading over to Duster's place to see if he was awake. He had finally gotten some independence and was on his own but his house was still located by his father's. Kumatora had her own place too near the ruins of Osohe Castle because she had become attached to the place even though she wasn't a real princess. She was all ready out and about, looking for something to do when she spotted her friend. "Hey, Lucas. What's up?" Kumatora greeted.

"Oh. Moring Kumatora."

"Duster up yet?"

"I'm not sure. I was just heading that way."

"Then how about we go together?"

"Sounds good." Boney agreed as well by giving a short bark and wagging his tail.

"Were you guys taking about me?" someone asked from behind them. Lucas and Kumatora turned around and saw that it was Duster.

"Good, you're awake. Usually you're still in bed, asleep," she told the thief.

"Yeah. I'm not really that tired today for some reason."

"That's okay." Lucas said.

As Boney walked over to greet Duster, something caught Kumatora's eye. "Hey, isn't that that crazy doctor?" she asked, seeing him approach the group.

"You're right. What's he doing here?" Duster responded, seeing him as well.

"I don't know," Lucas said.

"Hello, all of you," the doctor greeted as he made his way to the four.

"Hi there," Lucas responded

"Hello," Duster said.

"What's up?" Kumatora asked.

"Actually, I've come here to ask all of you a favor." Dr. Andonuts told them.

"What do you need?" Duster inquired.

"It seems that even after the Seven Needles were pulled, some of the Chimera Lab survived the destruction. However, I don't want to make any more mistakes, especially in this new world. You think you all could help me out and demolish them?"

"I guess we could help." Lucas responded. Duster was a bit unsure about lending a hand but their friend was willing to do so.

"I'd be glad to," Kumatora grinned, cracking her knuckles.

"Thank you. I can't really do it on my own and that's why I asked you three."

"Then what are we doing just standing around? Let's go and trash them."

"Right. Let's get going."

"Okay," Lucas said.

They ending up getting a bit lost on the way there thanks to Dr. Andonuts but luckily Boney was able to sniff their way to their destination. Everyone arrived to the remaining section of the Chimera Lab and got to work as soon as possible but even with Lucas, Kumatora, Duster, and Boney's help, it wasn't as efficient as Dr. Andounts hoped.

"This is taking forever." Kumatora groaned. "I'm going to take all of them out with a PK Starstorm. Stand back, everyone."

She got into position and prepared to turn a device into scrap metal when she ran into one of the machines and accidentally turned it on. Duster was nearby at the other side of that machine when it turned on and the two were quickly jabbed with a needle.

"Ow," Duster said to himself as Kumatora quickly turned around to see what had happened and noticed that it was on. "Crap!" Kumatora tried to figure out how to turn the thing off by slamming on the console with her fist but she was jabbed again in her lower abdomen. Frustrated, she ripped off the console with her bare hands and tossed it to the side. Dr. Andounts was busy working in disassembling another when he saw the two standing by it.

"It would be best if you don't mess with it," he told the two.

"Don't blame me. The stupid thing turned on on its own," Kumatora told him.

"Let me see." He walked over to the machine and inspected it. "I just remembered that this machine does. It was used to make chimeras by taking the DNA of two separate animals, recombining it and implanting a synthetic zygote with the changed DNA into one of the animals. It was one of the more advanced equipment I was forced to create while working for the Pig Mask army because the chimeras were sterile. Was anyone around beside you when it went off?"

"Just Duster. Why?"

After realizing the position the two were standing by the machine, a feeling of dread filled him. "This is not good."

"Hmm?"

"I was hoping never to use it again but I guess it's too late now…"

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Your friend here is expecting," he responded, pointing to Kumatora. "And he is the father," he then pointed in Duster's direction.

"WHAT?!?!" everyone shouted in disbelief.

Angry, Kumatora grabbed the Doctor by the collar and pulled him towards her face. "What the hell did you do, you quack?!?!" she yelled at him.

"It…it's not my fault…You see…" he stuttered in fear.

"Kumatora, calm down," Duster begged.

"Shut up!" She dropped Dr. Andonuts and elbowed Duster in the stomach. He fell to the ground, almost having the wind knocked out of him. In her rage, she blew up what was left of the machine with a well-aimed PK Thunder. Lucas just stayed out of the way, not wanting to get hurt.

"Wait…wait a moment. I'm not 100 percent sure that you are or not. Sometimes the body will reject the artificial zygote and it's never been used before on a human being before."

"I better not be," she growled. "If I am, I'll kill you!" Dr. Andonuts swallowed uneasily at Kumatora's words. After seeing what she did to the machine in one blow, he was afraid of what she might to do him. Duster was able to get back his composure and went over to where Lucas was.

"I think we better leave now…" Lucas said to the thief. He nodded in agreement and the two tried to drag an infuriated Kumatora away.

"Let me go!" she roared as she tried to free herself from their grip. Out of fear, the doctor went to go hide just in case she did go after him. Kumatora almost got away but Duster and Lucas made sure that she couldn't.

As soon as he saw it was safe to come out, he went back to work on getting rid of the rest of the machines, on his own. "I guess it was a mistake to ask them…" he sighed.

The group had returned to Tazmily and Kumatora had finally calmed down a bit but was still mad. "Why in the hell did you guys drag me away from there?" she demanded.

"I was afraid that you would hurt him," Lucas responded.

"Me too," Duster added.

"He deserved it for what he did."

"It was an accident, Kumatora. Things happen."

"I don't care if it was of not. If I end up being pregnant, he's going down. I'm out of here."

"Like he said, we're not sure yet. We have to wait and see," Lucas told his friend.

"Whatever," Kumatora groaned as she went into her house and fell onto the bed. "This is probably just a bad dream," she grumbled to herself. "It will probably just go away if I ignore it…" She soon fell asleep, telling herself that nothing was going to happen.


	2. Expecting the Unexpected

Quick update, huh? I couldn't wait until later to update it so, here you are!

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Chapter 2 – Expecting the Unexpected

Over a month had passed since the whole incident but Kumatora thought nothing of it. She kept on doing what she normally did: exploring the nearby forest, hanging out with Duster, Lucas and Boney, and just plain goofing off. Unfortunately, an awful reminder of that event reared its ugly head one morning when she got out of bed. She wasn't feeling like her normal self, a bit drained but also a bit sick. At first she thought it was nothing, just the flu going through her system. However, it had been going on for at least a week.

"I'm tired of feeling like crap," Kumatora said to herself as she made some tea. She didn't really care for the stuff but it was always helpful when she wasn't feeling well. As she poured some, it just dawned on her. _I hadn't started this month yet, _she thought_._ "No, I doubt it." Kumatora was about to take a drink when she began to feel nauseous again. "…damn it…"

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It was a bit passed noon now and Duster was outside his home, stretching a bit. After noticing the sun's location, he realized that it was starting to get late and Kumatora wasn't around. She would usually be one of the first to be up but then he remembered that she was feeling under the weather. Lucas had just finished talking to Fuel when he went over to see his friend.

"Hey Duster. Have seen Kumatora today?" he asked.

The thief saw Lucas and stopped stretching out his legs. "No, why?"

"Usually she's out and about by now or we're trying to get out of bed."

"True but she told me she hasn't been feeling well the last few days."

"You think she's okay?" Lucas was beginning to get a bit concerned.

"Probably but I'll go check on her just to be safe."

"All right."

The thief made his way to Kumatora's and knocked on the door. No one answered. "Kumatora? It's me, Duster. Are you in there?" he asked. Still no response. "If you're asleep or don't want to see anyone, I'll come back later. I was just checking on you to see if you were all right."

"It's all right." A voice said from behind the door, lacking energy. "You can come in if you want."

"Thanks." Duster slowly opened the door and entered. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

The curtains remained closed and the whole place was dark and a bit messy with various objects lying around. An empty cup sat beside her on a nearby table as well as a spoon. Kumatora was sitting on her bed, slouched over. She looked drained and also a bit upset. "I'm late…" she muttered.

"Late for what?"

Kumatora glared at the thief until he got the message. She got up and walked over to her friend. "I think I AM pregnant…"

"Are…are you sure? Maybe it's just stress or something."

"Remember that I told you that I've been sick for the last few days?"

"Oh…"

"I've also been completely exhausted and having these headaches too." Kumatora did something Duster would never expect to do, she broke down into tears. "What am I going to do?" she shouted. "I'm not ready for this. Damn that stupid doctor and his machine! Damn them to hell!" She punched a nearby wall with so much force that her fist went right through it. He wasn't sure what to do to make her feel better. Almost on instinct, Duster embraced his friend and tried to comfort her. She just stood there, a bit stunned. "What the…"

"Don't worry, Kumatora. No matter what happens I'll be there to help you out."

"Leave me alone," she responded as she pushed the thief away and ran off. He just sighed and left the room. _She probably just wants some time alone, _Duster thought to himself.He was correct.The princess sat in what use to be the courtyard of Osohe Castle, determined to stop crying. "I don't want to be a mother… why did this have to happen to me?" she murmured to herself, still denying the truth. "I still blame that stupid doctor and that machine…" She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "What the hell am I doing, crying? Great, I've all ready become soft."

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The thief headed towards a cliff that looked over another vast forest, a place he always went to when he needed to think or be alone for a bit. Many emotions welled up inside him: fear, nervousness, sadness, and also joy. Lucas was heading home at the time for lunch when Boney whimpered as he saw the thief standing there.

"What's the matter, Boney?" Lucas asked. The dog ran off in Duster's direction, with Lucas following close behind. Boney finally stopped near the cliff and barked, staring at a deep-in-thought Duster.

_Something's wrong, _the dog whined.

"Do you think is has to do with Kumatora?"

_There's only one way to find out, _Boney barked quietly.

Lucas nodded in agreement and he went over

"Duster, are you okay?" Lucas asked his friend, standing behind him.

The thief snapped out of his trance and turned around towards the blonde. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I have a feeling you aren't"

_Me too, _the dog added.

"You're right, I'm not. Do you remember what happened over a month ago?"

"Yeah…"

"He was right."

"You mean…"

Duster nodded slowly in response. "What am I going to do? I'm not ready for this. I mean, I care about her but…"

Lucas didn't know what say. He had never been in a situation like this before and neither had his friends. After a minute or two of silence he managed to say something. "I guess all we can do is be there and support her." Duster wanted to help Kumatora get through this as much as Lucas did but he was afraid that she would keep on refusing him and either she or the baby would end up getting hurt.

"What am I doing talking to you about this? You're too young to worry about such things," the thief told Lucas.

"Maybe you should go talk to someone else."

"Yeah and I have a good idea of who to ask."

Lucas smiled. "There we go. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck."

"Thank you." The teenager and his dog left for their destination from earlier as Duster did some careful consideration. "Maybe my dad will know what to do," he said to himself and he headed right over there. He was a bit nervous, asking his father for help. He had to risk being scolded at and being called a moron several times it but he needed some advice and he had become use to the name calling. After taking a deep breath, Duster knocked on the door and Wes answered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Dad, I need your help."

_Figures, _the old thief thought to himself. "All right, get in here." Duster did as he told and entered the house as Wes closed the door behind him. "So, what do you need help with?"

"It's about Kumatora."

"She's not hurt, is she?"

"No."

"Good."

Duster sighed, afraid of how his father would react when he would hear the news but he had to take a chance or he would never get the help he needed. "She's pregnant with my child."

Wes's jaw dropped at what his son had said. "What?! What the hell did you do!?!? This is an all-time low, even for you!"

"It was an accident. You see…"

"I don't care if it was or not."

"But just let me tell you what happened."

"Fine, go ahead."

Duster explained to his father what had happened over a month ago with the two and the machine. At first he thought it was a big lie to hide the fact that he took her virginity but his sincere tone made Wes realize that it was the full-hearted truth.

"I can't believe this is happening…Now listen, you moron. If you're going to be a father, you have to take responsibility for what you have done."

"But she wants nothing to do with me now!"

"The princess will come around eventually. She's probably just afraid because she has to give up what makes her her. Just give it time."

"Are you sure about that?"

Wess nodded. "You know her just as well as I do. I'm surprised you've never thought of that, you moron."

"You're right."

"You bet I'm right."

"But I'm still going to try and comfort her. Bye."

Wess groaned. "I guess he'll just have to learn the hard way," he said to himself as his son left.

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That night, Lucas sat at the table with Flint sitting across from him. He just poked at his dinner with his fork while his head resting on his hand.

"Anything wrong, Lucas?" Flint asked his son.

"Yeah. I'm a bit worried about Kumatora," he responded.

"Is everything all right?"

"Not really…"

"Would it make you feel better if you told me?"

"Probably." He put his fork down by his plate and sighed. "Kumatora's going to have a baby and Duster's worried because he's the father."

Flint was a bit surprised at what Lucas had said. Her and Duster? Parents? That can't be right. However, Lucas wasn't the kind of boy who would lie about such things so he had to take his word for it.

"Dad?"

"Sorry about that. It was just so…unexpected."

"Yeah. I just hope everything will turn out for the better."

"You shouldn't worry about them. They're adults. They can handle it." Lucas nodded and went back to his dinner. _Dad's right. They can handle it but I still want to help if I can. They're my friends. They helped me out numerous times before and I want to return the favor, _he thought to himself. _I just hope that they want my help._


	3. Drifting Apart and Making Up

Don't get comfortable with the daily updates. Finals are coming up and I was almost done with the first few chapters anyways.

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Chapter 3 – Drifting Apart and Making Up

The news of what was going on soon spread like wildfire, not mainly because she was a "princess" but the fact that she acted more like a man than a woman. Every day Kumatora was becoming more and more distant to her friends. At first she would hardly come out to greet them until eventually she would not leave her room at all. Duster tried all he could to make her feel better but she just ended of either taking off for what was left of Osohe Castle or attacking him with a PSI technique. Eventually, he just gave up and became a bit depressed. Unknown to him, she was feeling the same way. Kumatora was all ready 3 months into her pregnancy and was beginning to show a bit. She refused to leave the house and only left at nighttime when everyone else was asleep.

"This is going to be a living hell," she said to herself one night as she placed her hand on the baby bump. "Duster won't leave me alone, I'm tired of feeling sick and drained, and I never wanted a child in the first place. Damn it. Why me? Why now? If anyone else knows about this, I'll make sure that they won't be able to tell anyone else." As she stood there, a twig snapped followed by a quiet gasp. "If that's you, Duster, get out of here. I don't want to see anyone."

"It's not," a young voice answered. Kumatora turned around and saw that it was just Lucas.

"What are you doing out here so late at night?" she asked.

"I came to see you."

"Great, not you too."

"I can't help it. You're my friend."

"If you're going to keep on showing up here every day trying to 'help me out' like Duster has, you'll get the same treatment."

"But he's given up on that."

"What?"

"You've given him so much grief that he's become depressed. You've hurt him, Kumatora."

"Well, how do you think I feel? He shows up every day when he's not wanted, I feel like crap, and I never wanted to become a mother! Why can't he understand that I just want to be left alone!"

"Fine," Lucas responded, tearing up a bit. "Your closest friend wants to support you through a hard time you keep on pushing him away. If this keeps up, you won't have any more friends. You can be a single mother for all I care." He ran off back home, now upset.

"Fine!" she shouted at Lucas as he left. "I'm use to being alone! I can handle it all by myself!"

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The next morning, Lucas was lying in bed, still sad about last night. He just didn't feel like getting up and getting breakfast. All he could think about was that Kumatora's friendship with him and Duster was in jeopardy. Flint when in the house to see if Lucas was up yet but his son was still there.

"Kumatora getting to you too?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lucas replied "I want to help her out as much as Duster does but all she wants is to be left alone."

"That can't be helped. She's going through a hard time. She'll eventually come to terms with what's going on." He put his hand on Lucas's head, trying to cheer him up.

"Thanks. Hey Dad, did mom go through something like this when she was pregnant with me and Claus?"

"Not really. Kumatora's situation's a bit different, though. For one, she's not married."

"Oh, yeah."

"Now you better get something to eat before it gets any later."

"Okay, dad."

Duster was still lying in bed too, feeling depressed. No matter how hard he tried to cheer her up, she refused. Nothing worked. He had just about given all hope, for her and their relationship. "Maybe I should try just one more time," he said to himself. Duster got up, got dressed and headed over. On the way, he ended up running into his father. "Oh, hello," he said, half-heartedly.

"Are you still trying to get through to her?" Wes asked.

"Yes and it's still not working. I'm worried about her, dad."

"You're not the only one."

"Lucas too?"

"Him and myself. She hasn't adjusted like I hoped she would."

"Maybe it's partially my fault. I didn't leave her alone like you said."

"I had a feeling you would mess things up, you moron."

Duster sighed. "I suppose there's nothing else I can do. I want to try one more time but I'm afraid of what might happen."

"Oh, no. You've caused enough damage."

"If you're going to try and reason with her, it won't work. I've tried over and over and still no luck."

"I have a feeling she'll listen to me. Just try and stay out of it for now." Wes headed over to Kumatora's house but she wasn't there. She was able to sneak out when no one was looking to the ruins to get some air. The old thief made his way there as well after discovering that the house was vacant. She was leaning against a nearby tree, staring at the ground.

"There you are, princess," Wes said as he approached.

"What do you want, old geezer?" she asked.

"Have you been hiding out here all of this time?"

"Why would you care? You're not my father."

"True, but I still can't help but worry about you. Your friends are worried about you, especially that moron."

"Figures. He's been acting all weird ever since he found out that I was pregnant."

"So I've heard."

"You know too?"

"Just about everyone knows, actually."

"Great," Kumatora groaned and sat down on a nearby rock. "I guess it's no use to keep hiding now, huh?"

"I would say not. Also, it's not healthy to be doing this. Remember, you're responsible for more than just your own life now."

"Why would I care about some living thing that resulted by some science experiment?"

"You should be. Do you want to go through the rest of your life knowing that you kept a child from living, especially one that was your own?"

Kumatora was a bit surprised that Wes would say such a thing. He hated what Yokuba and the Pigmask Army had done to their home and this child being a result of one of their machines. Then again, the machine was made by Dr. Andonuts when he was forced to work for them. She still haven't forgiven him for that.

"I guess you have a point there."

"Actually, I was hoping that one day I would have some grandchildren. I just never expecting that you would be the one having my first." Kumatora smirked at the old thief's comment.

"Same here, old man." They both chuckled and she got up and started heading for Tazmily but Kumatora headed to Duster's place.

"Where are you going?" Wes asked.

"I'm going to go and apologize to Lucas and Duster about how I've been acting."

"There we go."

"Besides, I was probably going to have a child one day, right?" she said, winking.

Fortunately for her, the two were together, talking about what to do about their friend.

"There you guys are," she shouted to the two, trying to get their attention.

"Kumatora? What are you doing out here?" Duster asked.

"Listen guys, I'm sorry about how I've been acting. It's just a lot of pressure, you know. I didn't want to believe it at first and I felt that I wasn't ready."

"What made you change your mind?" Lucas asked.

"The old geezer."

"He does have a way with words," Duster admitted.

"Anyway, I thought about it for a bit and I shouldn't really be on my own because of what's going on."

"Great! For the time being, you should stay with me. It's best if you were surrounded by those who care about you."

"Yeah," Lucas said in agreement. Duster took her by the hand started to lead her home.

"All right, all right. Calm down. I'm expecting, not dying!" She started to look a bit green after saying that.

"Everything all right?" the thief asked.

"Sick…" She quickly ran off into some nearby bushes.

"I guess I should get use to that…"

Lucas smiled. He was glad that Kumatora was talking to them again. At first he thought their friendship might end because she was feeling sorry for herself. All it took was a few choice words from someone she trusted. One thing was for sure, though. Things were never going to be the same.


	4. Arguments and Fears

I was hoping to upload this a bit sooner but had some problems. I was also preparing for my finals, which are almost done now.

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Chapter 4 – Arguments and Fears

Two months have passed since Kumatora had moved in with Duster. Her old home have become vacant and was waiting for someone new to occupy it. She was in her room, getting dressed into an outfit similar to the hoodie she normally wore but it was a dress. Even thought the princess wore one while under the guise of Violet in Club Titiboo, she still hated them with a passion. What made it even worse is that she had to wear them just about all the time now since her old clothes were starting to become too snug. The morning sickness had finally stopped but she now had a new set of problems. Her back had all ready began to hurt from the extra weight she was carrying and she had to go more often that she would have liked. However, she did make sure she was taking good care of herself and the baby.

Duster was doing his share too. He made sure everything was comfortable for her and helped her out when she needed it, much to her dismay. Once in a while Lucas would stop by to see how his friends were doing. Today he was just hanging out with them because there was nothing else to do. They didn't mind because after all, he was their friend. Boney lay down by Lucas's feet as he watched Kumatora going through the cupboard where the food was kept.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking for something to eat but nothing just sounds good," she responded.

"Is there anything in particular you want?" Duster asked as he was putting away a couple of books.

"Some yogurt would be nice."

"All right."

"Oh, and some fish too."

"Fish!?" the two males questioned.

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" she asked angrily.

"No…" the thief responded. Lucas just shook his head as a reply.

"That's good to hear. Oh, wait. Never mind, I found some. I forgot to check in here." Both were kept in the icebox, which was located by the cupboard. Kumatora had made sure it stayed cold with the use of PK Freeze until winter time when ice was easily available. Even in her current condition, using PSI techniques took little effort physically and placed no stress on the unborn child. Taking both out, she quickly cooked the fish using PK Fire, combined it with the yogurt, grabbed a spoon and began to eat it.

_How can she EAT that? _Lucas thought, a bit disgusted.

"What are you staring at? It's not like you haven't ever seen me eat before."

He didn't want to say anything. Kumatora wasn't one to control her anger well and the hormones didn't help much either. To be safe, Lucas stayed silent and looked away.

"Whatever…" She turned around to go relax for a bit but she wasn't paying attention and ended running up into a chair. As a result, some of the yogurt and fish ended up right on Duster's shirt.

"Oops, sorry about that," she apologized.

"It's all right. It was an old shirt anyways," Duster responded, wiping some of it off. The thief left the room went to put a new one on. Since it was no problem, she made no mind of what just happened and sat down in the chair she almost tripped on.

Boney lifted his head to see what was going on and spotted the spilled food on the ground. _Hmm…. _The dog quickly sniffed at it but ended up gagging a bit. _Eww… why was she eating this stuff?_

"I know it's a bit weird but for some reason I like it," Kumatora stated.

Duster returned to the room with a new shirt on and sat down across the room in another chair.

"I was thinking. Since it's been several months now since the whole incident, we should start getting things ready for the baby."

"Why? It won't be here for a while."

"It never hurts to prepare."

"But it's too early. Everything will just be getting in the way."

"I didn't really think about that. This place is starting to get a bit crowded."

"That's because you haven't kept this place neat enough."

"Well, sorry. I've been preoccupied, you know."

"I have been too. I would do it myself but I'm in no condition to do so."

Duster was feeling skeptical about what she had just said. "Sounds like you're just taking advantage of this."

"I am not!" Kumatora shouted at him.

"I thought you kind of were…" Lucas added in, a bit nervous.

"Who asked you?!"

"…sorry…"

"Kumatora…"

"He butted in when he didn't need to."

"But still, you didn't need to yell at him."

She angrily stared at him as a response and went back to her concoction. Lucas just sat there, confused. It wasn't like them to fight like this. Sure arguments would happen between all of them from time to time but this one was a bit insignificant. It was just a small problem and they made it sound like it was the end of the world again.

Eventually, the princess and the thief got into a disagreement over just about everything. About the house, about every little thing each other did, even about each other. It seemed as if they were always at each other's throats. One thing that bugged either one of them turned into a giant dispute in a matter of seconds. Sometimes it would be like "Pick this up before I trip" or "where the heck did you put it?" and other times it was like "You shouldn't be doing that" or "You should be doing this instead." Lucas had no choice but to stay out of the way because every time he tried to help, he would end up being yelled at or ignored.

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After a week of nonstop arguing, Kumatora had a hard time sleeping at night, often tossing and turning while trying to get comfortable. When she did drift off into slumber, it was an uneasy one filled with strange dreams. One was especially unnerving one night when it was unseasonably warm.

The princess found herself in a dark room that looked quite similar to her own room. The strange thing was that she was back to her normal self. In the corner of the room sat a small cradle, rocking slowly. As Kumatora approached it slowly and a small ball hiding underneath a blanket slightly moved. She uncovered it and expected to see a child but instead was greeted by a creature the sent shivers down her spine. It reminded her of the Ultimate Chimera with its glowing yellow eyes, sharp teeth and reddish skin. The Ultimate Chimera-like creature turned around in her direction, roared fiercely, and went after her. Before she was mauled, everything went dark.

Kumatora quickly woke up in a cold sweat, panting. She quickly uncovered herself and looked over her body. Nothing missing, nothing torn, everything was fine. Duster was still fast asleep in the other room, unaware of what happened.

"Good. It was just a dream," she sighed in relief. She slowly opened the door and leaned against the side of the house, still in her pajamas. "It seemed so real. I hope it won't become a regular thing..." The half-full moon lit up the night sky as she gazed at the stars. The door suddenly opened her friend came outside.

"What are you doing out here?" the thief asked.

"Bad dream…about chimeras. I just needed some air."

"You need any company?"

"I don't care."

Duster approached Kumatora and stood next to her. They stayed quiet for a few minutes when the thief broke the silence. "I want to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot."

"When you were hiding out from everyone, how were you really feeling about the whole baby thing?"

"I was just afraid. Afraid that I would never be the same person again, that I would have to give up everything that defined me. I guess I was also being a bit selfish but you came to check on me every day, make sure everything was okay."

_Looks like dad was right after all, _Duster thought.

"I guess I just had to accept the fact that I was going to be a mother," she sighed.

He put his arm around his friend's shoulder and moved a bit closer to her. "Just remember, you won't be going through this alone. I am the child's father after all."

"You said that before."

"I know and I mean it. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that."

Kumatora smiled and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked while blushing.

"It was a thank you. Can't a girl thank her closest friend without being asked why?"

"Not when that girl doesn't really act like one."

"Okay, you got a point there but still I want to thank you for all that you have doing for me. I'm kind of sorry for all of the yelling too."

"That's all right. You're bound to be a bit more sensitive."

"Hey!"

_Me and my big mouth… _"We should get back inside and go back to sleep."

"Nah. I'd rather just stay out here for a bit longer. You can stay out here too if you want."

"All right."

A cool breeze blew by and a few leaves passed by the moon. The stars' twinkling seemed to be telling her that everything was going be all right. The two stayed outside for a few more minutes before they finally decided to go back to bed. Hopefully everything would be all right in the morning.


	5. Reminders of the Past

This chapter's going to be quite long but a lot happens in such a short amount of time. With a couple of days off I should be able to get quite a bit accomplished in this story.

- - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 5 – Reminders of the Past

Things got better over the next week or so. Kumatora was able to sleep comfortably at night after having that dream and tensions between the two had finally begun to calm down. Both were working together to clean the place up when something knocked over a nearby cup and took off.

"What the heck was that?" Duster asked, a bit startled.

"No clue." The princess spotted something traveling past the door to Duster's room and headed towards the table. "There it is, under the table!"

"I got it!" Duster dove under the table trying to get it but missed. "Drat." He hit his head on the underside of the table as he tried to get back up. "Ow!"

The thing quickly slithered to a window. After closer inspection, it was identified as a red reptile. Kumatora followed the creature until it stopped on the windowsill, where a familiar face sat smiling back at her. She was a bit surprised to see that it was none other than Rope Snake, who had somehow gotten into the house.

"It's just Rope Snake," she smiled.

"Well, what do you know," Duster responded, rubbing his head where he had hit it on the table as he got up.

"Hi guys, long time no see," Rope Snake said to the two.

"What are you doing here?" the thief asked.

"Oh, I made my way in through a crack under the door. Why were you guys chasing me?"

"I thought it was a mouse or something." Kumatora shrugged.

"If there was a mouse around here, I would have eaten it by now," the snake chuckled. "Anyway, I've gotten over failing you guys before. Since it's been quite peaceful around here, I have nothing to worry about. It will also be winter soon and I'll…" The reptile stopped mid sentence and couldn't help but stare at Kumatora. "Is it just me or have you gotten…bigger?"

"Oh, that. Well, I'm….I'm going to have a baby," she responded, a bit embarrassed with her hand behind her head.

"Really? I hope you don't mind me asking but who's the father?"

"…That would be me…" Duster replied, a bit embarrassed himself.

"Congratulations to the both of you. I had a feeling there was a bit of chemistry between you two but I never knew you that this would happen."

"Well, actually, it was kind of unplanned…"

"Why? Was it a one-time thing or something?"

"Perhaps I should explain what happened," Kumatora stated before telling Rope Snake what had happened that one day several months ago. The reptile was a bit confused at first but he seemed to get the point.

"That's quite an unorthodox way to have a child. Still, I can't help but be happy for you two," he told them.

"Okay but this doesn't mean our relationship will change in anyway."

"Wait a minute. You're living together, going to be parents and you don't _love_ each other?"

She shook her head. "We're just very good friends."

Duster's heart sank after hearing what Kumatora had just said. He did have some feelings of affection towards the princess but he didn't want to admit it. Even with all of the conflict that had been going on for the past several months, those feelings just grew more and more as the two spent more time together. Did she really think they could only be good friends, nothing more?

"Hey, Duster. Are you all right?" Rope Snake asked him.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," he responded.

"All right. Maybe I should get going. I have quite a bit to do today."

"Okay, see you later. Remember don't act like a stranger around here."

"I won't." Rope Snake slithered his way to the ground and out the door the same way he came in.

Meanwhile near the forest, Fuel was helping his father with some chores by chopping some firewood. As he took a break to catch his breath, he heard some rustling by the trees.

"Huh? Probably some birds or something," he said to himself. The sound repeated itself with more intensity. "Okay, now that doesn't sound like birds." As soon as he said that, a large flock of sparrows flew through the clearing, a lot like what had happened almost 4 years ago with the fire in the Sunshine Forest. "Maybe I should go and check it out."Fuel put down the axe by the logs that needed to be split and went to investigate. As first he saw nothing but branches and the occasional forest creature go running by. "Nothing here. I guess I didn't have anything to worry about." As he was heading back home, the teen spotted glowing yellow eyes shining from the shadows of the trees. "What the…" The creature came out of hiding and spotted Fuel. "What the heck is that?" It roared with enough force to scare off all of the nearby animals who were trying to hide from it. He took off like a shot and ran for Lucas and Flint's house. If anyone knew how to deal with this kind of thing, it would be them.

"Lucas!" Fuel shouted as he ran over to him, the side of his shirt ripped. Lucas and Flint were outside tending to the sheep while Boney was sleeping in his doghouse.

"Fuel? What happened to your shirt?"

"I got it snagged on a branch on the way over," he responded, catching his breath.

"There's this strange thing going through the forest. It's creeping me out."

_Something strange?_ The blonde thought. _Maybe he's just playing a trick on me. He always use to pull these kinds of things on me with Claus when we were younger. _ "What did it look like?"

"It had these glowing yellow eyes, red skin, a lot of teeth, and a yellow bird was sitting on its head."

Lucas swallowed hard. _Is can't be the Ultimate Chimera. It should have been destroyed when the Dark Dragon was awakened. This has to be a lie. Wait a minute. He's never seen the Ultimate Chimera before. He has to be telling the truth._

"Dad, I think we might your help on this." The blonds said. "If it is something dangerous, you'll know what to do."

"All right," Flint responded as he fixed his hat and made sure the sheep were fine. "Can you take us where you saw it last it?"

Fuel nodded and led them to the area where he had seen the creature. It wasn't in the same area it had been before but a path of downed branches and damaged trees was able show them were it went. Carefully following the trail, Flint spotted a large crimson creature wandering around. Sure enough, it was the Ultimate Chimera, roaming the landscape. It wasn't hurting anyone but by the way all of the animals were acting, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Maybe we should get Duster to help too. I don't think just the three of us can handle it," Lucas told his father.

"Three?" questioned Flint.

"Fuel said he wanted to help."

"I would feel better if he went somewhere safe. If something happened to him, Lighter wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"I won't get in the way, I promise," Fuel pleaded.

"All right. Lucas, go get him. We'll stay here until you get back."

"Okay, be careful." The boy took off as fast as he could without getting the Ultimate Chimera's attention and ran towards. He was going so fast that he almost ran into the door. "Duster, get out here. I need you," Lucas said while knocking on the door as fast as he could. Sure enough the thief answered it quite quickly.

"Lucas? What's the matter?" he asked.

"The Ultimate Chimera is in the forest," the teen responded, pointing towards the woods.

"What?"

"What's going on?" Kumatora asked as she stood behind the thief.

"The Ultimate Chimera is back," Lucas told her.

"What!? How did that thing survive?"

"I guess it wasn't called the 'Ultimate Chimera' for nothing."

"You stay here. I'll go and help out Lucas out with this," Duster said to her.

"You way! I'm coming with you too," she told the thief, grabbing him by the arm.

"But you're in no condition…"

"I don't care. It's better than sitting around the house all day and I want to help."

"Don't worry, Kumatora," Lucas said. "He's not going to be taking this thing on alone and we won't have to worry about you."

"Fine…" she groaned. "Just be careful."

Duster grabbed his thief tools from a chest that sat by the door, which had started to gather dust after not being used for a good while. He had little time to keep his skills sharp because he had been helping out Kumatora and his father wasn't nagging him to do so.

Rope Snake hadn't gotten far and was able to spot the blonde and the thief take off towards the forest. A bit concerned, he slithered his way towards Duster and was able to wrap himself around his bad leg before they got to the Ultimate Chimera's current position. Flint and Fuel were keeping out of the Ultimate Chimera's sight until Lucas came back with him. The four got together and kept an eye on the chimera, thinking of a way to stop it.

"There's something on your leg," Fuel pointed out to the thief. He looked down at his own leg and sure enough there was Rope Snake, still clinging to him.

"What are you doing?" Duster asked the reptile.

"I was a bit worried about why you and Lucas were running so I hung on since I couldn't talk to you at the moment."

"You didn't need to do that."

"I wanted too. You're my friend and I want to help out in any way I can."

"Okay."

At this point Lucas had all ready left the group without them noticing and had climbed up a tree by the creature. The boy attempted to turn the Ultimate Chimera off by aiming a PSI attack on the switch located on its back but it didn't do a thing. Only he knew that the only way to stop it was to turn it off using that switch. The blonde wanted to tell the three about it but he didn't want to give away their positions.

_What do I do? _Lucas thought. _I know how to turn it off but I'll just end up worrying everyone else by trying to get onto its back._

"Now I actually wish I still had that Drago's Fang with me," Flint whispered as he watched the Ultimate Chimera. He had gotten rid of the thing years before since it was a painful reminder of losing the one he cared so dearly for and he had no need for it once the Mecha Drago was defeated.

The blonde took a deep breath_. I have to risk it. If I don't do anything, it might get to Tazmily and hurt everyone else. Okay, here I go._

Sneaking up on it, he jumped onto its back and tried to turn it off. Before it could retaliate, he hit the switch and the Ultimate Chimera collapsed. The bird on top of its head fell off and sat next to it.

"I…I did it." Lucas said to himself, feeling proud. The three had seen what he had done. Relieved that nothing bad happened, they came out of hiding.

"I can't believe you just did that," Fuel said to his friend. "That was cool!"

"Thanks." Lucas smiled as he got off of it and want over to the trio. "I just had to do what needed to be done."

"You had me worried there for a moment," Duster admitted.

"Sorry about that…"

Unknown to them, the bird had gotten up and turned the Ultimate Chimera back on. It got back onto its feet and roared fiercely behind Lucas.

"Lucas!" Flint shouted before pulling him out of the way.

"How did it turn back on?" the blonde asked.

"I don't know but we have to keep it at bay for now before it hurts anything else or anyone."

"Okay. I just have to try again."

Roars from the Ultimate Chimera filled the air as Kumatora looked through a nearby window, trying to see what was going on. She couldn't help but worry about her two closest friends. What made matters worse is that she couldn't help them out at all and had to stay out of the way. The princess hated feeling so useless.

"Damn it…" she groaned. "Why now did that thing have to show up?"

Fuel hid behind a tree, not sure what to do but he wanted to help. The Ultimate Chimera was beginning to approach Lucas again but he climbed up a tree as fast as he could, getting out of its reach. Fuel took a nearby rock and threw it at the Ultimate Chimera, hoping to hit him but instead got the bird sitting on its head, which immediately fell off. The chimera turned in his direction and roared at him. "Uh oh." The teen scurried up the tree he was by and made it up just in time. His shoe fell of his right foot and hit the Ultimate Chimera on the head. It growled at him began to pace back and forth, waiting for either one of them to come down. Duster and Flint were crouching in some bushes, thinking of a plan.

"If I only knew what this thing was weak against," the cowboy whispered.

"It doesn't have any weaknesses. That's why it called the 'Ultimate Chimera'."

"That doesn't help at all."

Duster got up from his position but was still not spotted by the creature. "I'm going to go distract it from the boys. Maybe I can figure something out."

"You're crazy. May I remind you that you have and a child on the way?"

"I don't care. This thing reminds me too much of the past that I want to forget and I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Flint sighed. There was nothing he could do. It sounded like Duster wanted to be the hero but he was so thick that he didn't really realize how dangerous the feat would be. Using the Siren Beetle, he got the chimera's attention and it charged right at him. Duster was able to dodge quickly but he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and slammed his back right into a tree. The thief fell to the ground for a second but got up before it had the chance to strike again. All he could do was keep dodging the creature's large jaws while trying to think of a plan to stop it. Because he wasn't much of a multitasker, there were several close calls that made Flint and the two boys nervous. The thief took out his wall staples and got into position.

"I hope I haven't gotten rusty…" he said to himself. Duster tried using them but they had no effect on it. The chimera went after him again and while trying to dodge, he tripped on a large rock and scrapped his arm quite badly on a nearby tree. A small amount of blood dripped down this arm as he got up and tried to avoid being bitten by it.

"All right, that's it. I'm helping out." Flint said to himself as he came out of the bushes and whistled to get its attention away from the thief. The Ultimate Chimera ran right towards the cowboy and tried to take to take a bite out of him. He was able to avoid it and attempted to damage the creature by hitting it with a downed branch that was sitting next to him. The chimera just grabbed the branch with its jaws and broke it with ease.

"You leave him alone!" Fuel called out, throwing his other shoe at it. The creature turned towards him and went ahead and charged right at the tree where the teen was sitting. It shook violently and he tried to keep his footing. Duster tried to use his thief tools again while it was still safe but they failed to help. As the group kept yelling to it, the chimera became a bit confused with four different people in four different places trying to get its attention. As a result, it just stood there, glancing at one person to the next.

"Get on its back!" Lucas called from where he was sitting to his father and friend. "There's a button on it that will turn it off!"

"Okay but how do we do that?" Flint asked.

"Duster, use me! I may have failed you guys before but not again!" Rope Snake shouted from by Flint and slithered his way to him. The snake had stayed out of the way the entire time until he was needed. The thief nodded and grabbed the reptile by the tail. Like in the past, he swung from a nearby branch with ease and landed right on its back. The Ultimate Chimera tried to shake him off but he held on tightly and hit the switch. It fell to the ground and Duster let out a sigh in relief. The bird that had been knocked off the chimera's head earlier, now sat near Fuel, away from the chimera. It began to move again and was able to spot it before it did the same thing as before. Quickly getting down from the tree, he grabbed it.

"This bird is probably the thing that turned it back on," the teen told them. "We have to get rid of it." It began to moves wildly, trying to escape his grip but he held on tightly.

"I'll take care of it," Flint stated and took the bird. "You may not want to look." Fuel looked away and he snapped its neck. It was a bit of an uncomfortable thing for the cowboy to do around his son and his friends but it had to be done.

Fuel went to go get his shoes back as Lucas climbed down from the tree he was sitting in after seeing what his father and friend was able to accomplish. "I'm glad that's over."

"Same here," Duster responded, still shaken. He rubbed his arm, which had become sore from earlier and had stopped bleeding.

"You you want me to heal your arm?" Lucas asked the thief.

"No, I'm fine."

"All right. Still, we can't risk having this thing getting turned on again."

"How are we going to make sure of that?" Flint asked.

"Bury it?" Fuel suggested.

"No, that won't do. It might activate again from the pressure of the soil."

"How about we push it into the ocean? It's mechanical and I don't think it can swim," Duster said.

"That will work. The sea is like one giant Saltwater Gun."

"Let's do it then."

The four of them positioned themselves behind Ultimate Chimera and tried to push it there but it would hardly budge. "We're going to need some help moving this thing." Fuel got an idea and ran off towards home.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked.

"I'm going to get my dad. I know he can help."

"Good idea. The more people we have helping the better."

"All right."

Fuel returned in a few minutes with Lighter, who had been taking care of something for another resident.

"What the heck is this thing?" Lighter asked, placing a foot on it.

"It's a creature called the Ultimate Chimera," Flint said to him. "Supposedly it was unstoppable but we were able to take it down after a couple of tries. We're trying to get rid of it but it won't move an inch."

"Not strong enough to do it on your own, eh?"

"I have no time for your jokes. Just help us with this."

"All right, all right."

All five tried to move the inactivated Ultimate Chimera and was able to make progress. By late afternoon, they were able to shift it towards the edge of a cliff that sat over the ocean. The water was quite deep compared to the rest of the area that surrounded it.

"Okay, one more good shove and this thing should be as good as gone," Lucas stated. "One… two… three!"

The five males pushed with all of their might and it fell into the ocean with a large splash. The Ultimate Chimera sunk quickly into the salty waters until its shadow was out of sight.

"Hopefully, we don't have to worry about that thing ever again," Lucas sighed.

"Even if we do, we'll be ready for it." Fuel told his friend. They both nodded and grinned at one another.

"Hey Duster, shouldn't you get going back to the house?" the blonde asked. "Kumatora's probably starting to get worried about us."

"Crap! I forgot all about her!" the thief responded. "I was so caught up in the moment. I gotta go." Duster took off with blinding speed and returned home in a flash. Kumatora sat in a chair in the other side of the room, where she had been waiting for him. She got out of the chair and approached him, looking irritated with him.

"Why the hell were you gone for so long and what happened to your arm?" she asked.

"Sorry about worrying you. We had to get rid of the Ultimate Chimera for good and I ended up taking a bit of damage."

Kumatora groaned. "This is why I wanted to come with you. You know you could have gotten yourself killed out there?"

"I'm sorry. It's just that I thought that even if you did come with us to help I would end up worrying about you the whole time and I was afraid that you might hurt more than help."

"Hey! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can still kick ass with my PSI, especially yours!" she yelled, pointing a glowing finger at him. Duster swallowed hard and gave a nervous smile. Suddenly, she stopped and placed her hands on her stomach.

"Something wrong?"

"No. The baby just moved."

"Maybe he wanted us to stop arguing,"

"He?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It could be a girl too."

"Probably just wishful thinking on your part,"

"It doesn't matter to me if it's a boy or a girl. All that matters is that it's healthy."

"Why have you been so concerned about me all of a sudden?" Kumatora asked, crossing her arms.

"Why not?"

"You never did before during our journey with Lucas."

"I had a lot on my mind back then, mainly helping him get to the seven needles in time."

"I just have a feeling that you care more about the baby than me." Her tone of voice had changed from curiosity to concern as she turned away.

"You know that's not true. I care about you very much."

"Yeah right. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Honest. I would do anything to protect you! That's why I risked myself out there to make sure the Ultimate Chimera wouldn't harm you!" he admitted.

"If you really do care about me, prove it!" she yelled facing him again, arms at her sides, fists clenched.

"Okay, I will!" He took her by the shoulders and moved his face closer to hers. The next thing she knew, his lips had met with hers. Kumatora was shocked, but she decided not to fight against it. It was strong but reassuring. Eventually, both of them relaxed and let emotion just take over. His grasp soon because a soft embrace as he held her close and she could not help but do the same as she wrapped her arms around the thief. The princess had never felt this way about him before. She did care about Duster but she thought it was only out of friendship. It was only until now her true thoughts for him were able to surface. As the two ended their kiss, all they could do was stare at each other, blushing.

"I…I love you, Kumatora…" he confessed.

_So, he actually admitted it,_ she thought.

"I hate to admit it, but I…I…I feel the same way about you now. I thought we would be nothing more but friends but…this just takes the cake."

They were still red from before but they were actually willing to say how they felt about each other. Duster felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest while Kumatora felt a bit odd but at the same time happy. Perhaps the whole incident with the unexpected pregnancy and Ultimate Chimera was a blessing in disguise, bringing them closer together than ever.

"I suppose I was wrong. We can be more than just good friends, perhaps even much more," the princess stated.

"I'm happy to hear you say that," he smiled. The two kissed once more, this time with more passion. All of the tension had passed with the setting sun as a love between the two began to blossom, unlike the changing autumn landscape.


	6. Preparations and Plans

College is back up again but I'll try to update this as soon as possible.

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Chapter 6 – Preparations and Plans

One Kiss. That was all it took for them to admit their true feelings to each other. Now the princess and the thief were inseparable. Wherever they went, the two of them would be arm in arm. Some couldn't help but stare but Kumatora would stare right back as if she was saying "Yeah, I love him. You got a problem with that?" The wall the separated their two rooms was demolished but they still refused to share the same bed. Nowadays she needed a bit more assistance with the things she normally did due to her back hurting constantly and her belly now getting in the way. It couldn't be helped. At least Duster and was willing to lend a helping hand. She actually thought it was kind of cute that he was doing all of this for her and more. Lucas was happy to see his two friends like this but also a bit sad. The blonde wasn't able to hang out with them like he use to. Instead, he would be helping Flint take care of the sheep, which he didn't really mind because maybe one day the teen might be doing the same thing, perhaps even with his own son.

It was now winter and Rope Snake sat curled up on Duster's bed, fast asleep. Ever since he was able to help the thief deactivate the Ultimate Chimera, the reptile's confidence came back. As a result, he was able to greet his friends every day and eventually was able to live with them. Rope Snake was happy that he got to be with them again. The two parents-to-be were in the next room taking care of a few things.

"Maybe it would be better to put them over there." Kumatora said, pointing to the corner of the room.

"All right…"

Duster was moving around some furniture, making sure that everything would be ready for the new baby, which was due to arrive in a couple of months.

"At least you're getting some exercise. Ever since that snowstorm came in, we've been cooped up in here for the last week." The thief nodded and moved two chairs and a table to the corner of the room. "You know what? It was better over there." She pointed to where they had been before. Duster sighed and moved the furniture back in their original position. "Hmm… now they're too close to the cupboard. Slide them towards the fireplace a bit."

_I wish she would make up her mind…_ he thought before moving them again.

"There we go. Perfect"

He sighed in relief and flopped down into one of the chairs he had been moving around the room. Kumatora sat down next to him but had a bit of trouble because her large belly was starting getting in the way. "Everything is looking good. I'm actually starting to look forward to bringing a child into this place."

"I am too."

"At first I hated the thought of being a parent but now I'm kind happy about it" As soon as she finished her sentence, she looked down at her now large belly and held it.

"Hey, calm down in there!"

Duster couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Sounds like our baby is starting to take a bit after his mother."

Kumatora smirked at his comment. "Or _her _mother."

"Right."

"A lot of movement has been going on lately."

"It's probably because it's getting cramped in there. I would need to stretch too if I was stuck in such a small place."

"You got a point." As soon as she finished that sentence, she was kicked hard by the baby. "Ow, easy," she told it while rubbing the side of her stomach where the kick was. Duster couldn't help but laugh. There was no doubt about it that this child was going to be a handful when it got older.

"Why are you laughing at me?" she asked.

"I'm not."

"Good."

Rope Snake had recently woken up and slithered into the room, hoping to get something to eat. He made his way over to the couple and greeted them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing much, just kicking back even though the baby is doing most of the kicking."

"Sounds like you're going to have quite an energetic child on your hands," Rope Snake commented, smiling.

"Seems like it."

"Now don't mind me, I'm just going to get something to eat." Rope Snake went over to where his food was and got a quick bite before heading back into the bedroom to get comfortable again.

"I just realized something. The baby is going to be here soon and we haven't thought of any names yet," Duster pointed out.

"I totally forgot about that. With everything going on, it must have slipped my mind."

The two sat there, trying to think of some good names for their future child. A few minutes of silence passed and they still weren't sure what to choose.

"I've got nothing," Kumatora stated.

"I have a few ideas but I don't think you'll care for them."

"Just tell me what you thought up."

"All right. Mark, Ryan, Aaron or Hunter for a boy and Jessica, April, Mario or Sakura for a girl."

"Hunter's a good one but I don't like the ones you chose for a girl."

"Then why don't you think of one then?"

"Okay." Kumatora thought for a minute about possible names. Many didn't interest her until she finally though of one she liked or at least would be decent. "What about Hikari?"

"That will work."

She nodded. "Then it's decided, Hunter for a boy and Hikari for a girl." The baby had stopped moving round for a moment and it had become quite once again.

"Actually, I've been actually doing a lot of thinking lately," Duster spoke up. He just felt as if he had to say something.

"That's a first."

"Very funny. Anyway, have you ever wondered what the child might look like?"

"Not really but I just hope it ends up looking normal."

"I just don't want the child to end up with my nose," he joked, placing his hand on it. Kumatora couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, what about if it will be able to use PSI?"

"If that's the case, I'll teach him or her all I know. However, I doubt there will be a need to use them they way I had to."

"I'll probably do something similar with my thief skills if he or she doesn't. However, I won't do like my dad did and push it too hard. I don't want the kid to be walking around with a limp all his or her life."

"That didn't stop you from being a great fighter," she smiled. Even with his bad leg, he was quite fast and had great endurance. It seems like the extreme training did have some of its advantages since he did play a role in defeating the Pig Mask Army and helping to remake the world into the peaceful place it was now.

"You know, I find this ironic. You're doing more of the thinking that I am."

"Well, a lot of thought have been racing through my mind lately, knowing that the baby will be here soon. What I'm really curious about is that if we're going to end up with more than one child."

"MORE than one?! I seriously doubt that we'll end up having twins or triplets."

"You never know."

"One baby will be enough of a handful, let alone two or three."

"I was just saying," Duster shrugged. He got up from where he was sitting and went to get a drink of water. "Do you need anything right now?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll probably just go and lay down for a bit anyways. I'm bored and I'm getting a bit tired." Kumatora had with a bit of trouble getting out of the chair but the thief went over and helped her out of it. She lost her balance due to her changed center of gravity for a second and fell towards the thief.

"Careful," he said as he caught her. The princess couldn't help but blush, mainly out of embarrassment. He helped Kumatora to her feet, trying to be careful not to hit anything or lose his balance as well.

"Thanks. I hate it that I can't even get out of a chair without some help."

Kumatora made her way to the bedroom to take a nap. Rope Snake was asleep again on Duster's bed, this time hiding under the covers to keep warm. He didn't even budge an inch as she laid down onto her own. With her hand placed on her stomach, she stared at the cradle that sat in the corner of the room. Lucas and Fuel had made it together with a bit of help from their fathers as a bit of a gift. It actually turned out quite well, in her opinion.

She couldn't help but think about the child she was carrying, or even children, thanks to Duster bringing it up. What would it look like? All she could hope is that it would actually be human and look normal. Also, whatever happened to that crazy doctor that was partially responsible for this in the first place? It seems as if he had disappeared after the whole fiasco, trying not to cause any more trouble. Kumatora didn't care either way if he ever returned or not. All she cared about at the moment was her future child and the relationship she had with the baby's father.


	7. A New Arrival

After all of the wait, the baby will finally arrive! If you find yourself uncomfortable when it comes to someone giving birth, you may want to skip some of it.

- - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 7 – A New Arrival

Spring had come earlier than expected that year. The snow that had kept almost everyone indoors had now melted away and joined the streams and ocean. Some of the trees had started to bud and the ground was slowly starting to become green again with grass and small sprouts. Duster had become exceedingly uneasy knowing that the baby would arrive any day now. The mother was starting to feel the same way but she was happy about that. Not only would the long wait be over but she could go back to the things she normally did, including not dressing so girly. It was getting late and the two were getting dinner prepared. The thief was able to calm down for a bit until he heard Kumatora give a soft groan.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, just another cramp. I don't know why but they have been happening all afternoon. It's annoying the hell out of me."

Duster became a bit nervous. _Please don't tell me that it will be time soon _he thought to himself.

"I've also been on my feet for a while. Maybe I'll feel better after relaxing for a bit," the princess added.

"That…that would be a good idea. I'll take care of things here."

"Okay." She went over to sit down by the table and almost lost her balance. "Damn it!"

_Oh, no._

"Can you help me a bit?"

_Thank goodness, not yet._

"Don't just stand there, help me!"

"Right, right."

The thief held the chair in place so she got rest without it knocking over or her falling to the ground. "I can't wait until this whole mess is over," she groaned.

"Mess? I thought you were actually looking forward to having the child."

"I am it's just everything else. I can hardly do anything on my own, I'm constantly sore and tired, and I want to stop wearing these stupid dresses." Kumatora pulled out one side of the dress's skirt and dropped it.

"I actually liked seeing you in something different for a change."

"Too bad. I'm going to back to my regular clothes once it's born." A minute later sharp pain hit her out of nowhere. It felt as if she was being sneak attacked by an enemy that wasn't noticed until it was too late. Kumatora couldn't help but let out a sharp groan through her teeth. "Now I know why…I was hurting all this time…" she stated, holding her large belly. "I think the baby is coming…"

"Now?"

"Now."

He lost his composure and ended up knocking a cup off the table and as he staggered back, right over the other chair and into the wall. The thief now sat on the ground from tripping and his head was sore from ramming it into the wall.

"You're making things worse!" she yelled at him.

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize, just get some help!"

Duster scurried to his feet and ran out the door as soon as possible, forgetting to close the door behind him. _Who do I ask for help? _The thief thought as he ran to the town square. He was so worried about Kumatora that he ended up bumping into Flint. Duster fell to the ground onto his behind, not noticing what had happened.

"Duster, what's the matter?" the cowboy asked as he helped him up.

"I need to get help. Kumatora went into labor," Duster responded in a panic.

"All right, just relax."

"I can't relax knowing the person I love is about to have my baby!"

"Okay. Go and get Tessie. She'll know what to do."

The thief nodded and took off to get her. Flint sighed and fixed his hat, hoping that he could handle the situation. His son approached him with a few of the sheep following behind. They had somehow gotten out of their pen and he was taking them back home.

"Dad, what's going on?" Lucas asked

"It seems that Kumatora is going to have the baby."

Lucas became nervous knowing that the time had finally come. "Is there anything I can do to help too?" he asked.

"Probably not but don't worry about it too much. Duster went to get Tessie. She knows how to handle these kinds of situations."

The blonde sighed in relief knowing that it was being taken care of. "All right. I just feel like I should do something to help. "I know. I'll go help Kumatora while Duster goes to get Tessie."

Lucas took off just like Duster had a minute before, this time towards where his expectant friend was waiting for some assistance. Since the door was left open by the careless father-to-be, there was no shame in barging in, especially in a tense situation like this. The princess was trying to make her way to the bedroom, still in pain. As soon as the thief had ran out the door, her water broke and she felt that it would be better for her to lie down instead of sitting up. She sat in the middle of the floor with wet trail from where she was sitting before to her current position. The boy went over to her side and tried to help her to her feet.

"Lucas?" Kumatora asked the blonde. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were going to have the baby and I wanted to help in some way," he responded as the two got up.

"What about Duster getting help?"

"He's doing that too. I was starting to get worried about you so I came to lend a hand until he came back."

She let out a weak smile as the two slowly made their way to the bedroom. Lucas helped his friend get comfortable as they waited for the thief and future father to return, with a few awkward moments in the process.

During this time, Duster had his way to the inn. It was just like the one that had existed in the village several years ago before all of the changes occurred. It was even taken care of by the same three people: Jackie, Betsy, and Tessie. Even in this new world, people still came to Tazmily, but as passers-by. Most of who came to stop for a rest were looking for a new place to call home while others were just exploring, either looking for others who had survived or to answer the call to adventure.

"Tessie!" Duster shouted as he ran into the building. Jackie and Betsy couldn't help but stare as he charged inside in a panic. Tessie came out of one of the rooms and noticed the thief.

"Oh, Duster," she asked. "What's wrong? It looks like you've seen a ghost."

"No, worse. Kumatora has gotten into labor and I need your help. Flint told me to get you because he said you would know what to do."

"It was a good thing that he told you to get me. I was the one who helped Hinawa deliver the twins," she responded.

"That's a relief, I guess."

"Shouldn't you two get going then?" Betsy asked.

Duster grabbed Tessie by the hand and pulled her along. "Slow down!" she begged. "I know you're in a rush but you don't need to pull my arm out of its socket."

"I'm sorry." He slowed down his pace a bit so that she could keep up and catch her breath. "I'm really worried about her."

"I can understand. This is your first child and your reaction is quite natural."

- - - - - - - - - -

"What's taking so long?" Kumatora asked while trying to deal with the pain.

"Do you want me to go and make sure everything is okay?"

"I'd rather have you stay here just in case something happens."

"Okay." Lucas became even more nervous, hoping that nothing would happen before Duster returned. The blonde was no stranger to intense situations, but this was the first time he was involved in one that had to do with a woman in labor. What made it even more nerve-wracking was that the mother was one of his closest friends.

The thief retuned with the help they needed but all he saw was an unoccupied chair and a mess on the floor. "Kumatora, where are you?" he asked, now a bit scared.

"Relax, I'm in here!" a voice shouted from the other room. Duster sighed in relief and the two went on in. She was in bed with one arm clutching to the blanket and the other on her swelled stomach. What he didn't expect to see was Lucas in the room with her, sitting on his bed.

"Don't worry. Nothing happened," the blonde said quickly, not knowing how his friend would react. Duster just smiled and sat down next to him.

"Did you help her out while I went to get Tessie?" the thief asked.

"Yes."

"Thank you." He briefly embraced Lucas before Kumatora shouted quietly in pain. No matter how much she was hurting, the princess refused to scream like a weakling.

"I better get going now," the boy told them. "It's getting late and I'm…starting to get a bit uncomfortable…"

"All right. We'll let you know if anything comes up," Duster told him.

"Also, can you tell Jackie and Betsy that I may not be back for a while?" Tessie asked the blonde. "It may take quite a long time."

"Might?" Kumatora asked, annoyed while trying to deal with the pain.

"It varies from person to person and it usually takes quite a while for a first timer."

"Fine…"

Lucas left to go relay the message before heading home. Tessie proceeded to check on the expectant mother by undoing the bottom of the bed sheets.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kumatora asked in surprise. Duster was a bit shocked as well with what she was doing.

"I need to do this in order to know when the baby will come." She responded. "Right now you haven't gotten very far. However, you may be ready in a short amount of time or it will take several hours."

4 hours had passed and there wasn't much progress after. The sun had all ready set and a crescent moon shone through the window from behind a nearby tree.

"How long is this going to take?" Kumatora groaned.

"Judging by how far along you are compared to a couple of hours ago, it will probably take a while."

"That doesn't help me at all! Just tell me how much longer!"

"A few hours at least. Perhaps even a day."

"A day?! I can't deal with this crap for a day! I've gone through pain for one lifetime and I want this damn thing taken out of me!!!"

"Please calm down, Kumatora," Duster begged. "There's no need to be unreasonable."

"I can be as unreasonable as I want to be!" she snapped at the thief.

"Don't take it personally," Tessie told him. "Yelling is just one of the ways that someone in pain lets off pressure. Unfortunately, there isn't anything I can do to help with that."

"So I have to deal with it?"

"Yes."

"That's just great. I better not be lying here all night," Kumatora complained before letting out another groan.

They had to do just that, much to the mother-to-be's dismay. Everyone was getting tired waiting through the night for the time to deliver. Duster let Tessie rest on his bed until she was needed and he sat in a chair next to Kumatora, out like a candle. Even with the stress of what was happening, it seemed like he could fall asleep just about any time or anywhere. Kumatora kept on nodding off but woke up every now and then with each contraction. Soon they became so constant that she could no longer do so. The princess had never been in so much pain before in her life. She needed something to grab on to to help ease it a bit. Since the child's father was the closest person to her, she grabbed the thief's hand and squeezed it tightly. This disturbed Duster from his slumber.

"What are you…?"

"Don't ask, just deal with it," she said through her teeth, interrupting him before shouting out again to deal with the contractions. "Crap! When will all of this be over?!"

Kumatora's cry got Tessie's attention and she checked one more time.

"Don't worry. You're just about ready to deliver."

"Should I leave now?" he asked nervously. This was the first time Duster had been around someone who was about to give birth and he didn't know what to expect.

"NO!" Kumatora shouted in pain. "I would feel _better_ if you stayed here."

"Also, I'm going to need your help," Tessie added. The thief swallowed a bit. "Don't worry, I just a couple of blankets and some water." Duster sighed in relief and went to get them. At least he didn't have to see anything he didn't need to see. Luckily he was able to bring them to her just before Kumatora began to deliver the baby.

"Get the hell over here!" she yelled at him. He did as he was told and went right over to her side but not without running into the chair he was sitting in earlier. "How clumsy can you be, you moron?!"

"I'm sorry!" Duster apologized.

"All right, now I need you to push," Tessie told her.

Kumatora did as she was told while cutting off circulation to the thief's hand.

"You're squeezing me too hard."

"Shut your trap and deal with it!"

"That was a good one. I need you to do that again."

Kumatora repeated the process but not without shouting again. "I hate this! Why did it have to happen to me?!"

"You're doing great. Now, push."

"I can't feel my hand…" Duster stated.

Kumatora grabbed him by the collar and brought his face close to hers. "Listen, you moron!" she shouted. "I'm in more pain than any person should be forced to go through and all you can think about is your stupid hand?!"

The thief thought it was best to stay silent this time around. Her hair began to get soaked with sweat from all of pushing and she was starting to get worn out.

"I need you to push again."

"All, right Kumatora, you can do it. Don't give in now."

"Shut the hell up! I'm doing the best that I can!"

"I got the head now, just one more good push."

"This had better be it! I'm tired from staying up all night and I don't want keep on doing this!"

"This is the last one, I promise."

She put all of her might into one lash push. There was no way she was going to give up just because she was tired. As soon as dawn arrived, a sharp cry was heard but not from the mother. It was the baby as it came into the world with the new day. All of the pressures of the night before seemed to have disappeared with the newborn's cry.

"Well?" Kumatora asked, out of breath.

"It's a girl," Tessie smiled to them. "A bit on the small side but she seems healthy."

"There's only one, right?"

"Just one."

The new mother sighed in relief and lied back on the pillows behind her.

"You did great, Kumatora. I'm proud of you," the thief said to her.

"Thanks," she smiled weakly.

After everything was cleaned up, Tessie brought over the child, which was now wrapped in a soft maroon blanket and gave her to the mother. "Be very careful with her." The baby was still fussing but her cries were not as loud.

"I can handle it." The baby started to calm down as Kumatora cradled her in her arms. Surprisingly, she had a full head of reddish hair and hazel eyes, which were kept half-open. The princess was content that she looked like a normal baby; nothing out of the ordinary, which meant nothing to worry about. "She doesn't really look like a Hikari now that I look at her."

"Then what are we going to name her?" Duster asked.

The new mother stared at the little bundle when she noticed something about the babe. "You know, she kind of reminds me Lucas's late brother."

"She kind of does, doesn't she?"

Kumatora smiled. "I just thought of a great name for her."

"What?" the thief asked.

"Clara."

"That's an interesting name. I like it."

"Clara it is then."

The newborn yawned and got comfortable in her mother's arms, falling asleep. "You go ahead and take her now," she told the baby's father.

Duster carefully took the child into his arms and couldn't help but smile. Even though the whole thing started with an accident and a strange machine, the thief was still happy because he was able to help create a new life. What was even a greater joy was that it was with the person he loved, not just someone he didn't really care for with his whole heart. Clara snuggled closer to her father and clung to his shirt. It was so cute that he felt as if his heart had melted. Who would have thought that such a small creature would bring so much bliss into their lives? As soon as his daughter had fallen asleep, Duster carefully placed her in a small cradle that had been sitting in the room for a few months, waiting for the child that would one day lay its head in it.

"Now let me go over a few things with you. First off, it's going to take a lot of work raising a child and she'll need a lot of attention. Both of you will have to work together taking care of her."

"That's obvious," Kumatora stated.

"My next concern is how you plan on feeding the baby for the first few months or so. Do you plan on breast feeding her?"

"What?! No, no, no, no, NO! There is no way I'm going to be doing that!" she declared, waving her arms back and forth and shaking her head.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. It's just that mother's milk is always best for a newborn."

"Good," Kumatora said as she sighed in relief knowing that she didn't need to feed her child in that manner. Duster made his way to the door before being stopped by the princess. "Where are you going?"

"I promised Lucas I would let him know if anything happened." The thief responded. "Also, you should probably rest."

"All right. You better be back later okay?"

"Okay."

"I should leave as well to let everybody know that everything is okay," Tessie added.

"This is personal!" Kumatora shouted. "Why do you want to tell everyone?"

"News travels fast here. It was going to be a matter of time before everybody knows anyways."

"Right, I forgot about that."

"Just get some sleep and I'll come back tomorrow to see if everything is fine."

Kumatora nodded and got herself comfortable. The night before took a lot out of both her and the baby and rest was what they needed.

Duster was still a bit tired from staying up for most of the night as well but he was too cheerful to take a nap. He was a father now, though it was a bit weird that his daughter wasn't conceived in the usual way. It didn't matter to him anyways. He loved the new baby and her mother will all of his heart. As soon as the thief got to the home of his friend, he saw that no one was around, which was quite odd for this time in the morning. Boney, as usual, was in his doghouse and lifted his head to see who it was. As soon as he saw the thief, he went right over to him, wagging his tail.

"Hi there, Boney," Duster greeted before petting the dog. "Have you seen Lucas anywhere? I want to tell him that she had the baby this morning."

_The baby's here? _the dog answered excitedly with a small bark.

"Yep."

Boney was so happy that he couldn't help but jump onto the thief and lick him. _Yay! We should go get Lucas and tell him! _he whined.

"All right, calm down. Just show me where Lucas is."

_Okay. _The dog promptly got off and led Duster to where his owner was. Though it was still early, the blonde was all ready up and taking care of something for his father. Boney ran right over to the blonde's side and barked happily _It's here! It's here!_

"What's here, Boney?" Lucas asked.

"The baby," Duster answered, who was standing right behind him.

The boy couldn't help but turn around with a big grin on his face. "Is everything okay? Is it a boy or a girl? What does the baby look like?" Lucas questioned rapidly.

"Calm down," the thief chuckled.

"Sorry, I'm just really excited."

"Everything's fine. Kumatora had a baby girl a little while ago and I couldn't be happier."

"That's great! Can I go and see them?"

"Probably tomorrow. We're all worn out from staying up so late."

"Aww, okay. Hey, do you think you should tell your dad as well?"

"You're right. I better tell him that he's got a granddaughter." Duster took off for Wes's place with so much energy that you couldn't really tell that he was feeling drained from being awake for such a long time. The thief arrived there in a flash and before knocking, took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm down. His heart was still pounding as he rapped on the door and waited for his father to answer.

"Oh, hello," Wes greeted him at the doorway. "I'm surprised to see you here this early."

"Well, I've been up all night." his son told him. "I just came by to let you know that you have a granddaughter now,"

Wes just stood there, silent for a bit, not sure how to react. After a minute of awkward silence, the old thief, now a grandfather, spoke up. "That good…no, that's great news but why didn't you tell me earlier when she was _having_ it?"

"I'm sorry. I was in such a panic…"

"You know what, forget it. I'm just glad you told me. They're doing fine, right?"

"Kumatora and the baby are fine. They're just recuperating from last night."

"Good. I'm surprised you're not tired as well. You're not much of a night owl."

"Actually, I am. I just wanted to let you and Lucas know about the baby first."

"Well since I know now, you can head back, rest and help take care of your daughter."

"Okay." The new father was about to return home until a question popped up in his mind after remembering what he had promised Lucas. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Why?" Wes asked just as he was about to close the door.

"I thought you would want to come over and see her."

"Is that an invite?"

"I guess so," Duster shrugged.

"In that case, I'll see you all tomorrow."

"All right. See you tomorrow."

Duster promptly returned home and quietly entered so that he wouldn't wake Kumatora and the baby. Fatigue was starting to catch up to him after that burst of adrenaline and all he wanted to do now was sleep. The thief quietly fell onto his bed, not noticing the lump under the covers.

"Ow…" a muffled voice cried out.

"Huh?" He got up and lifted the sheets to find Rope Snake lying there. "I'm sorry, Rope Snake. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

"I was fine until you almost squished me," answered the reptile. "Now if you excuse me, I want to go back to sleep. I had to stay up all night hiding under the bed because of all of the noise."

"Yeah, Kumatora was having the baby."

"She was? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot all about you."

"That's all right. All I want to do now is sleep."

"Same here."

Rope Snake slithered his way off the bed and got comfortable somewhere else in the room while Duster fell face first onto his pillow. In a matter of minutes, all of the home's occupants were fast asleep, making up for what they had lost the night before.


	8. A Blessing in Disguise

Sorry for the long delay. I was busy with my assignments for college but that's life for you. Also, I had a bit of writer's block and a lack of motivation. At least I can wrap this story up but may get to work on a sequel for this if I get enough inspiration and time to do so.

- - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 8 – A Blessing in Disguise

The next day came rather quickly as Kumatora woke up a bit later than she normally did, still hurting a bit from the delivery. Just because she was still sore didn't stop her from getting out of bed to check on Clara, who was still sound asleep. Compared to how the "princess" was feeling at least 24 hours ago, she felt a lot better; at least she could move again. However, even using PSI Life Up or Healing didn't help with the fatigue and soreness.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Duster asked as he came into the room and saw Kumatora standing by the cradle. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure the baby was okay," she responded.

"She's all right. Clara was fussing a bit earlier but I took care of it since you were still asleep."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Do you want anything while you're awake?"

"No, I'm good. How's your wrist?"

"It's all right. A bit bruised but I've been through worse. You have one strong grip. No wonder you were able to take down so many chimeras and Pigmasks with only your fists."

Kumatora couldn't help but blush at what he had said. Usually she could take a compliment quite easily but hearing it from him made the "princess" feel special. It was probably because her feeling towards the thief had changed to love over the past several months.

"Is it just me or is she the reason we're so close now?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

"I think Clara is just partially the reason I was able to tell you how I really felt," Duster stated. "Then again, I probably would have told you one way or another. Maybe being able to help get rid of the Ultimate Chimera gave me the courage to admit it."

"Perhaps but still, I never would have imagined that we would end up starting a family, especially through all the junk we've been through over the past four years."

"That's one thing about life, it's quite unpredictable. One day we're just friends helping out a teenage boy and the next we're the parents of a baby girl."

"Yeah, crazy isn't it?"

The two chuckled and give a quick kiss on the lips before Kumatora ended up wobbling a bit into the thief's arms.

"I guess I'm still a bit weak from before," she admitted before a knock came from the front door. "Looks like we're going to have some visitors today."

"Just a few. That okay with you, right?" he asked as he helped her up a bit.

"I don't care at the moment." The "princess" got back into bed as Duster went to get the door.

"Kumatora?" Lucas asked, peeking his head through the door with Boney by his side.

"There you are Lucas," she answered.

"How are you?" the blonde asked his friend.

"Fine, just a bit tired."

"And the baby?"

"She's fine too but she's taking a nap at the moment so we have to be quiet."

The teen nodded as the dog walked over to the side of the bed where Kumatora was laying and lifted himself onto it so he could reach over and say hello.

_Hi there, mom, _he whined happily after he gave her a lick on the cheek.

"Hi there, Boney" she smiled as she patted him on the head.

"You can go ahead and see her." Duster said to the teen. Lucas nodded and cautiously approached the cradle, trying not to disturb the baby from her slumber. "She had a lot of hair," the blonde giggled. "What did you name her?"

"Clara."

"Cute name. Who thought of it?"

Duster pointed to Kumatora, who shrugged a bit and grinned.

"Really?"

"Well, she kind of reminded me of Claus so I thought the name would fit," she stated. "It was a better choice than Hikari, in my opinion."

Lucas couldn't help but smile and tear up a bit after hearing that. His friends' new daughter was partially named after the brother he had lost twice, once after he had disappeared to avenge their mother's death and again when he was finally found as the Masked Man but then took his own life. Boney got down from the bed and lied down by Kumatora. The baby soon began to stir from her sleep but instead of crying, Clara just whined and bit and rubbed her eyes.

"I think she's awake," the blonde stated.

"Yep." Duster lifted the child out of her bed, still wrapped in the blanket until she was fully awake. "Do you want to hold her?" he asked.

"Can…can I?"

"It's all right. Go ahead." Kumatora said.

Lucas sat down on the vacant bed and carefully took the newborn into his arms from the baby's father.

"She's so small," he said.

"I bet you were about that size when you were born too," responded the baby's mother.

"Probably."

Even though the child was not related to him in any way, he kind of felt like a big brother as he supported the baby's head. Clara didn't even let out a whimper as the boy held her. Instead she just stared at him, almost curious about the person who was holding her. All the blonde could do was smile back at her until another knock was heard.

"I'll get that." Duster said as he left the room to answer the door. Sure enough, just like

"Hello. I was wondering when you would come over."

"We did say that we would see each other tomorrow, right?"

"Right. Well, come on in."

"Thank you."

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, old geezer," Kumatora said to him. "Came to see your new granddaughter?"

"Of course. How are you feeling?"

"Still sore but I'm not tired anymore. However, my hips might say otherwise…" she responded, rubbing them.

Lucas was still sitting on the bed with Clara because he was a bit nervous to get up and had the baby to Kumatora or put her in her cradle.

"All right, let me hold her for a while."

"Oh…okay. You can handle it, right?"

"May I remind you that I have been through this before? Why do you think that moron, I mean, Duster's here?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," the blonde admitted, a bit embarrassed as he cautiously handed the baby to him. The old thief took his granddaughter into his arms and looked over her.

"The baby's a bit smaller than I was expecting but she's still adorable." After hearing Wes, Duster was just in shock. Did he actually say that his daughter was "adorable"? As far back as he could remember, his father would never say such a thing. Then again, a baby can turn almost anyone into a big softy. "I also see a lot of the princess in her. So, what name did you decide on?"

"Clara but we would have gone with Hunter if it was a boy," the thief answered.

"A good choice on both accounts. So, what about you two? Any future plans I should know about?"

"Wait a minute, are you implying..?" Kumatora asked before she was stopped mid sentence by Wes.

"Of course not. I was just asking because I all ready know you'll mainly be concentrating on raising your daughter."

"In that case, nothing yet."

Clara began to whimper in her grandfather's arms until she grabbed part of the blanket with her mouth and started to suck on it.

"It looks like she's getting hungry."

"How can you tell?"

Wes just stared at his sin as if he was silently saying "What do you think?" The thief carefully took the newborn into his arms and took her into the other room to feed her.

"Also, I should get going so you can rest. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. I have a feeling you'll eventually need it," Wes stated before discretely glancing at Duster.

"Me too," Lucas added. "I'm glad that everyone is fine and I was able to see the baby."

Just as Lucas and Boney were heading out, they had run into Tessie, who had come, like she said, to check on the new family and to bring them a few things they would need to take care of the baby girl.

"Hello there, Lucas. Came to see the new baby?"

The blonde nodded in response. "Yeah. She's very cute."

"I'm glad you think so," she responded, smiling.

Lucas smiled back at her and the two left and out of the corner of her eye, she saw duster with the baby in his arms.

"It's good to see that you're all ready taking charge," she smiled after seeing the thief getting something for. He couldn't help but smile at Tessie's comment until Clara cried out.

"I know, Clara. It's coming,"

"Let me help you with that," she offered.

"Oh, uh, thank you."

"It's no problem." Tessie stated as she got a bottle ready for the baby and the thief tried to comfort his daughter. She showed him a few things on how to properly take care of the child and he caught on rather quickly. Feeling confident that he could easily take care of the baby, she left a few things for him and the table and made her way out.

This was the only easy part for them when it came adjusting to parenthood…

The next few nights were torture for the new parents. It seems like every hour Clara would begin to cry wanting something, mainly to be fed. Kumatora would hide under the sheets until either Duster would get up and take care of it or she caved in. Needless to say, no one was able to sleep well, if at all, through the night. The baby was a week old now and Kumatora sat in a corner of the bedroom late one night, tending to the newborn.

_I don't know why but feel kind of strange feeding Clara like this,_ she thought to herself as the baby ate._ Well, maybe just once… _Looking over towards the direction of the beds, she made sure the thief was still in his, asleep. Once she felt that it was safe, she uncovered herself a bit and let the child nurse. It felt a bit weird to be doing it but at the same time it felt right. Clara didn't seem to mind either way as she clung to her mother and continued to feed. A shuffle came from the bed while Kumatora kept an eye on the child. She just ignored the noise, thinking it was just him getting comfortable in his sleep. This was not the case, however.

"Kumatora…?" Duster asked drowsily, still lying in bed. She let out a small yelp in surprise and quickly covered up the exposed area and the baby with a nearby blanket.

"Are you…?" he asked.

"No…"

"You don't have to lie about it. You can trust me."

"Okay, I am," she admitted, turning red. "You better not tell anyone about this or you're going to end up solidified."

"You don't have to worry. I think it's cute seeing you like this. You know, motherly."

"Well, I hoped you enjoyed the show because you won't be seeing me do it again."

"All right then."

_Like I would tell him I was actually comfortable doing it. _she thought to herself as Duster went back to sleep. _Maybe I can get away with it when he's not around._ Clara shuffled underneath the blanket, trying to free herself a bit.

"I guess you're done, huh?" Kumatora quietly said to the baby as she uncovered her face. The newborn gave a large yawn and fell asleep in her arms. "Hopefully you'll stay asleep for the rest of the night…" the "princess" said to her child before getting up and laying her down in the cradle. She got back into her bed and fell asleep as fast as the baby did.

The next morning was actually pretty quiet, due to the fact the Clara finally fell and stayed asleep for a couple of hours. Kumatora was staring out the window, still embarrassed about what happened earlier so the stillness was a bit unnerving. Finally, Duster spoke up in order to break the silence.

"About last night. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," he said to her "If you want to go ahead and do that again, it's fine with me. I'll just make sure to leave the room."

"I told you, I'm not going to because it wasn't even worth it."

All the thief could do was smile to himself. "I know you're lying."

"No…" she scowled.

"Just admit it; you actually felt comfortable feeding Clara that way."

Kumatora's face turned red and she stayed silent again before responding. "Fine, I did," the "princess" finally stated, refusing to make eye contact out of embarrassment.

"I knew it," Duster smirked. "I know you well enough to know when you're lying, you know."

"Yeah, I just don't feel comfortable admitting these kinds of things to you. I don't need any more change."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot has happened in the past 9 months. Us being together, the baby, it just happened so fast. I don't even recognize myself anymore…"

Physically, she no longer looked like her old self. She had become more feminine and shapelier and her hair had grown out a bit.

"At least it isn't as bad as what happened over 4 years ago."

"I guess you're right. Still, I'm just not comfortable with it."

Duster approached the "princess" and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter to me what you look like or what happens to us. You will always still be the same person I fell in love with." He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek to reassure her. Kumatora began to blush a bit and managed to give a small smile.

"That's better," the thief grinned. She faced him and began to smile a bit easier. _I guess if he's okay with it, I can be too,_ Kumatora thought before he kissed her again on the forehead. The "princess" blushed a bit harder and before she could return the kiss, the moment was broken by Clara's cries.

"I'll take care of that," she sighed.

"No, I'll take care of it."

"I told you, I got it."

"You took care of Clara last time. Now it's my turn."

"Look, this is not time for arguing. I'm going to get the baby." She went over to the cradle and took Clara out carefully to take care to her. "I have doing this," Kumatora groaned, noticing that the newborn needed a change.

"I could have done that for you if you wanted," he said to the "princess" from the other room.

"Yeah, I know," she responded, finishing up with the change. Clara was wide awake now, being held in her mother's arms, with her being careful with the head. "You act as if I can't handle it by myself."

"It's not that. She's my daughter too and I want to make sure I do my share."

"Trust me; you've been doing more than enough." Kumatora came into the room and carefully sat down with their daughter. "Well, at least you are doing a good job taking care of her."

'I suppose so. I just don't want to end up like my father."

"The old geezer? You're nothing like him. Also, this is a girl were raising, not a little boy. We don't even know if she will be able to use PSI."

Clara shuffled a bit in her arms as she tried to get comfortable and snuggled closer to her mother.

"Anyway, it will probably be a while before we know for sure."

Duster nodded in response and couldn't help but stare at the little girl that was lying in his lover's arms.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next day, Wes stopped by the house to see how things were going for the three. He couldn't ever shake the feeling that his son would screw up in one way or another so he had to make sure the "princess" and his granddaughter we well taken care of. As soon as he arrived, he knocked on the door, which was answered by a bit groggy Kumatora.

"Oh, hey. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What do you think? I came to see my granddaughter," the old thief responded.

"She's taking a nap at the moment so you're going to have to wait."

"All right then."

"Are you going to come in or what?"

Wes just shrugged and made his way to into the house and took a seat while she closed the door behind him.

"So, how are thing going for the new parents?" he asked.

"Tiring. It seems like she wants something all of the time." Kumatora responded as she sat down next to him. "We were lucky that she was able to fall asleep a while ago," the "princess" sighed, rubbing an eye with her hand.

"That's babies for you."

"I just wish this parenting thing was easier."

"No one said it was going to be easy, especially with that moron helping out."

"Hey," the thief exclaimed quietly as he came into the room, a bit surprised to see his father there. "This won't become a regular thing, will it?"

"No, I'm just making sure that you know what you're doing."

"He's been quite capable, actually." Kumatora stated. "Duster actually has been doing more that I have."

"Sounds like he's actually doing something right. I also came here to give you something." The old thief pulled out of his pocked a small silver-colored bracelet with a small gem in the middle.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It was Duster's mother's. It's just about all that I have left of her besides memories but I want you to have it."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"Something just tells me that you should have it. You wouldn't see me wearing such a thing, would you?"

Kumatora chuckled and gratefully took it. "Thank you very much."

"Would you like me to help you put it on?"

"Sure." She held out her left arm and let Wes place it around her wrist. "It's very nice."

"Make sure to take good care of it."

"You have nothing to worry about."

Another knock came at the door. "More people?" Kumatora asked as she went to answer it. Lucas, Flint and Boney stood in the doorway with smiles on their faces. In Lucas's arms was a bouquet of sunflowers.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Lucas wanted to come by and see how things were going," Flint told her.

"I also wanted to bring you these," the blonde said as he handed her the bouquet.

"Oh, thank you. You…want to come in for a bit?"

"Lucas and Boney can. I have to get back to taking care of the sheep."

"All right." The boy and his dog came into the house as Flint left.

"Hello, Mister Wes," Lucas greeted the old thief.

"Hello there Lucas. You came to see how there were doing as well?"

"Yep. How are thing going for you?"

"Nothing much."

Boney went over to greet Duster as Kumatora placed the sunflowers on the table and Lucas and Wes made idle conversation. After about tem minutes or so, the old thief and stretched a bit. Clara was still comfortably asleep in the other room and there wasn't really not much left to do.

"Maybe I should get going," he said to them. "You probably want some time to catch up."

"All right, Dad," Duster responded. "Take care of yourself."

"And you better take good care of Clara."

"Don't worry about it."

As soon as Wes left, another group came to the door to see how things were going as well. This kept going on throughout the day as visitors came in and out to see the child and to wish good luck to the new parents. Some even came with gifts for the new family. When things had finally calmed down, the table was overflowing with objects for the new parents and their new daughter: the bouquet of sunflowers, which now sat in a vase, a couple of wooden toys made by Lighter and Fuel, baked goods made by Caroline and Angie and a stuffed lamb, clothes and various knickknacks from the rest of the villagers.

"Finally, no more people." Kumatora groaned as she flopped down into a chair. "It's like none of them had ever seen a baby before."

"Well, it is the first child they know of that has been born onto this new world."

"I guess you're right."

Clara began to cry out for attention from her cradle before they had a chance to recuperate from all of the guests.

"You want me to get her?" Duster asked.

"No, I got it," she responded.

"All right."

Kumatora left the room to care for Clara, who needed to be fed. Still a bit uncomfortable about what happened last night, she got a bottle of milk for the baby, picked her up, sat down in a nearby chair and let her eat.

"You two are always so cute together," the thief smiled. The mother blushed softly in response. "So, you're not going to…"

"No, but I may eventually if I become more comfortable with the idea," the "princess" told him.

"Do you think that's a good idea? I mean, is it healthy to do alternate between the two?"

"Why not? Clara doesn't seem to care either way."

The baby continued to feed eagerly and stopped once in a while to catch her breath. As the thief stood there and watched the two, a feeling of contentment came over him. "So this is what's it like to have a real family," Duster said to himself.

"What about family?" Kumatora asked, temporarily taking her attention off their daughter.

"I was just thinking that we become a family now ever since Clara was born. Then again, I've always had this feeling that we were like one."

"I'm just someone you love. We're not family. Besides, you still have the old geezer."

"But you are family, well, sort of. I've kind of seen you as like a family member even since we've met, probably because my father knew you so well. Also, mine wasn't what you would really consider one. My dad treated me more like an apprentice than a son and I lost my mother when I was still very young."

"Well, I guess I wouldn't really know about them either because I never really had one. After all, I was raised by the Magypsies. I guess this is what it would have been like if I didn't lose my parents when I was a baby. At least I have you here."

"I'm not the one, you know. We also have my father, Lucas, Boney, Flint, and the rest of Tazmily. They'll be there to help us out if we ever need it."

"Probably but I just hope we don't become too dependent on them. I still want to be able to rely on myself."

"Right." The newborn finished the bottle quite quickly tried to push the bottle away from her mouth. Kumatora responded by taking the bottle away from her and placed it onto a nearby table. "I suppose that Clara was actually a blessing to us, even though it didn't seem like it at first," the thief stated.

"A blessing in disguise, huh?" Kumatora asked as the baby stretched a bit in her arms. "I suppose that makes sense."

Clara just stayed in her mother's arms and watched her parents converse but it wasn't long until she fell asleep to their soothing voices. The two couldn't help from smile as the "princess" put the newborn back into her cradle. Even with all of the changes that have happened, not all of them were bad. The two had matured quite a bit and both had become more open with their feelings. Duster had become more confident while Kumatora became to act more her age and like a lady and, of course, they only had one thing on their minds, the future, for both of them and their child.


End file.
